the mrs went out to the car this morning only to find when she turned the key it was dead, so i jumped it thinking it was the battery, i told her to run it for a while to put some charge into the battery but she turned it straight off when she got to work and again it wouldnt start, i jumped it again and let it idle for 20 mins turned it off and then again it was dead but all the lights came on the dash and the headlights worked, im thinking it maybe the starter motor as surley if the battery was that dead it wouldnt illuminate the dash or headlights.
any ideas guys.
its a 1.6 si

 

Battery could be dead and not accepting the charge,or the alternator not putting anything out...... multi meter will show whats what

 

Alternator should be charging with lights on at 17.5v if this is ok then i would say battery.

 

I personally disagree, alternator should only charge at 13.2 to 14.6 volts, otherwise this can cause damage to the battery. If it does it again, when ity wont start, put a multimeter across the battery, if it reads less than 11.5volts then battery is more than likely too flat, if above that reading then try start it and see what the reading is. If the car is driving fine once running then this basically rules out the alternator, so would point to starter motor or battery. You will need to do a voltage drop test on the battery. I know i've had faults with ford starters in the past where ther wont start on the battery but will on jump leads. Worth getting it properly checked out by autoelectrciain if you are unsure.

 

i think 17.5v is a bit much more like 14v for charging ! sounds like battery has a dead cell but check earth lead as they sometimes come loose or corrode ! also check starter wires as the switch wire sometimes break or the live comes loose ! common escort stuff !

 

Yep, as above, 14.6 max with out anytihing on, and lower than 12.9 with everything on and it's the alternator.

Normal range is 13.6 -14.4v

there have been a lot of duff batteries this winter though

 

if it starts on leads the starter must be ok.
most likely it's the battery, the battery terminals or the earth connections to the body or the engine